Federal Agency Institutional Repository Announced!

The United States has taken step forward in the Open Access Movement. On October 5^th, 2011, the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) announced its partnership with Information International Associates, Inc. (IIa) in developing an Institutional Repository Service for federal agencies. Institutional Repositories, like our very own Open Emory Initiative, collect the scholarly or professional work of an agency or institution and provide it as a freely accessible, searchable, digital collection. This project by NTIS/IIa provides the technical framework through which federal agency content can be collectively provided to users, thus lowering costs and increasing ease of access.

According to Bonnie Carroll, the president and founder of IIa, “the Institutional Repository Service will provide content management and information dissemination, making it easier for agency personnel and the public to find and receive better access to information resources. The IR will support a wide variety of content types including images, audio, video, and traditional text.” Provision of this repository ultimately aids federal agencies in aligning with the President’s Open Government Initiative for increased transparency of government information.

By providing technology and development for the system across multiple agencies, the program will ultimately provide a substantial cost savings in avoiding redevelopment of the same technology in multiple settings. Additionally, this move will allow federal agencies to follow the path of the NIH in establishing Public Access Policies that implement repository deposit requirements for research conducted using federal funding. For the Emory community, the Institutional Repository Service will improve access to federally-funded research results.